Picking the Best Help Desk Software for a Small Business

There was a time when the amount of help desk solutions was not only scarce but those that were available weren’t exactly hot stuff. But these days are long gone. Now there are hundreds of different systems that can boost your work. The issue now stems from the fact, which one to go with. On one side you have veteran tools, on the other, fresh ideas but your budget can only go so far. Indeed, picking the best help desk software when you are a small company can be a hassle.

Hence why today we will be covering what kind of platform will work best in a small company, as well as what kind of issues they might solve. There are many different systems out there but we will focus only the most popular options. Thus, sit tight, grab a pen, and start taking notes.

What A Help Desk Software for Small Business Should Do

Before we jump into the review process, let’s take a look at what a typical small business can achieve and how it differs from other types of help desk systems. And the first thing that comes into mind is that a help desk for small business should be easy-to-use. The reason is that usually small companies don’t have a lot of resources to train the staff.

Another thing that a help desk for small business should be able to do, is to seamlessly integrate itself to the internal workflow. It has to work in tandem with all other processes and in no way, hinder your performance. Lastly, the system should have room for customization so that you can tailor all the process to your needs. Ok, now that we covered this aspect, let’s get started!

Are There Any Good Examples?

Yes, there are. in fact, the list is so long that we had to trim it twice. And we will cover only the essentials. This includes price, features, and ease of use. All of these aspects play a vital role and omitting one would be unfair, and frankly, wouldn’t provide the whole picture.

ServiceDesk Plus

While not new to the market of help desk, it is only recently the system has received a few vital updates that made it eligible for this list. So, ServiceDesk Plus is a service desk tool that was designed with simplicity and accessibility in mind. Every corner of the tool has hundreds of hours of thoughts behind it, meaning that everything feels seamless and fast. Also, you won't be stuck days on end configuring the tool as it has a specialized wizard that will guide you through.

Yet, the main feature of the tool is the CMDB module that will help you keep track of all hardware and software used in the company. With it, you can easily track software subscriptions as well as visualize the dependencies between software/hardware. The tool does not have a specific price tag and you will have to contact the vendor yourself but if we had to guesstimate, we’d say its around $20 agent/month which isn’t that expensive. You can head over to their site and schedule a demo in case you are interested.

Zendesk

The next one on our list is Zendesk and what better way to describe this tool than stating the obvious. It’s great. Like really great. The first thing you will immediately notice that it has a very sleek UI and all the features are pretty easy to understand. One of the central hallmarks of the system is its drag-and-drop like automation system. With it, you can easily set up simple automation flows, and in case you need more complexity, all you have to do is visit the advanced settings. If you’ve been looking for a nice automation platform, this is the best help desk software for small business.

The key downside of the tool, however, is its price tag. The starter plans don’t really offer that much in terms of features, whereas the mid-tier plan (that has everything you will need) costs $49 user/month. If you can afford to buy this tool, we suggest that you do so as it’s great and gets updated frequently. Also, just like our previous entry, it has a free plan for you to try.

Freshservice

Freshservice is a combination of good quality and nice feature quantity. Its a very nicely rounded system that has a few unique features your business will surely make use of. First off, you get multichannel support straight out of the box. What this means is that you won't need to handle 12 different browsers tabs with different accounts as everything will be in one place that we like to call the hub.

Another cool feature about Freshservice is that it has a native app for both iOS and Android. Now our previous entries also had apps but they were not as feature rich as Freshservice offerings. Indeed, with the mobile app, you can perform a wide range of tasks and even set up a few automation options. It’s still in development and we are positive that the company will add new features. The tool costs $79 agent/month for the mid-tier plan. It has everything we’ve mentioned above, as well as adds an advanced security module, contract management, enhanced analytics. As for the starter plan, it has basic functionality and costs $19 agent/month.

Freshdesk

Not to be confused with Freshservice, Freshdesk (although they come from the same company) is a really decent help desk software for small business. It incorporates everything you come to expect from a help desk and adds a few unique features that are not only helpful but once used, become essential. One such feature is the Predictive Support. What it does is it helps your agents answer different questions by pulling info from case history, knowledge bases, etc.

Also, users get access to the Omniroute system. It’s still in BETA but it has shown surprisingly good results. What it does is that it auto-assigns incoming emails, calls, and chats to your support team based on their workload and capacity to handle the issue. To leverage all the benefits, a mid-tier plan is recommended. The plan is $49 agent/month and it has everything to get you started.

However, Freshdesk also offers a free plan so, you can take your time to get to know the tool.

Help Scout

Simple in design, Help Scout has been the go-to tool for many small businesses thanks to it being one of the most reliable systems out there. Unlike other systems on our list, Help Scout does not support large businesses and will work best in smaller teams. All this is clearly reflected in the functionality of the system and its features. And speaking of features, the tool has true multi-brand support. This means that if your business has multiple products, you can easily manage them with the system.

Another cool feature the tool has is the live chat system dubbed Beacon. The idea behind this chat is to help initiate self-service among customers. It achieves this by providing customers with instant access to the information center. The tool is integrated into the mailbox and can be accessed by simply clicking on the icon. The pricing on the system is also on the positive side of things. For just $20 agent/month, you will get access to automated workflows, satisfaction ratings, and many more things.

Kayako

The last one on our list is Kayako. The system is good for both small and large companies as it very scalable. No matter what kind of operation you perform with this tool, chances are, you can scale it with Kayako. The UI is made in a way that will easily serve hundreds of different agents, and the best part about it, it won't slow down in terms of performance. You won't get ugly stutters, nor will you see severe slowdowns. But the main takeaway from the tool is that it has a small little module called Journey.

The module allows you to see what your customer did on your website, what kind of products they were viewing the most, and what prompted them to hit “buy”. This is a very useful system for smaller companies that don’t have a huge budget for a dedicated analytics team. And the pricing is also spot on, only $30 agent/month for the upper-level plan. We suggest that you give it a try as the outcomes are totally worth it.

Final Thoughts

And there you have it, these are our picks for what we think are the best tools for small businesses. They have everything a basic help desk system has and offer specialized features that will help you grow. If you plan on moving to one of the above-mentioned tools be sure to leave a message as we can help. We have years of experience behind our backs and we know our way around said tools.